“A cadre of performers under 40 are doing their best to keep instruments such as the violin, piano and cello front and center in music lover’s minds,” writes Gary Dinges in Friday’s (1/29) USA Today. “Artists such as Lindsey Stirling, Charlie Siem and Lang Lang are helping to keep things fresh and bringing classical into the mainstream. Liz Cass, executive director of the nonprofit Armstrong Community Music School in Austin, Texas, says social media has made a huge difference, lifting the profile of artists as classical music ‘grows and evolves.’ And schools continue to play a key role, she says, although many have stripped back music and arts education in recent years. ‘It’s great for older classical music fans and concert-goers to see the legacy of the music they love in such good hands and, of course, it’s great for kids to see younger musicians in which they can identify,’ she told USA Today.” The article lists several musicians and includes the number of YouTube subscribers each has: violinists Jennifer Pike, Charlie Siem, and Lindsey Stirling; pianist Lang Lang; saxophonists Jess Gillam and Masego (Micah Davis); cellist Laura van der Heijden; and classical guitarist Alexandra Whittingham.
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